Sami Omar: Building the Infrastructure for Scotland’s Hip Hop Future

Sami Omar: Building the Infrastructure for Scotland’s Hip Hop Future

Words by Carmina Gray

Nestled along Glasgow’s riverfront, the UP2STNDRD Studio, founded by Sami Omar, has become a vital driving force within Scotland’s hip hop scene. More than just a recording space, the multi-room studio operates as a creative hub — a long-term vision brought to life to address what Sami perceives to be the scene’s greatest challenge: a lack of sustainable infrastructure. 

“Hip hop in Scotland has always existed,” Sami says, leaning back in his chair. “It just never maintained consistency. There’s always been these bubbles where things start happening, then it hits a ceiling and disappears again.” 

A ceiling that comes down to the ecosystem. While Scotland is no short of talent, unlike scenes in London or Manchester, artists are constrained by limited access to major radio, labels, publishers, and sustainable funding. Without those pathways, talent struggles to manifest into long-term careers. 

“You’ve got passion, but it doesn’t pay,” he explains. 

Sami has long devoted his career to the Scottish scene, from beat-making as a youth to gradually building that passion into something bigger. Today, he runs a production house and exceeds his energy into creating spaces that give the scene room to thrive. His journey took off in 2014, with the opening of his first space, Affilion Studios, situated off Jamaica Street, Glasgow. As a commercial studio, it welcomed anyone who needed its services. However, as the space evolved into a lively DIY venue, hosting local rap nights and freestyle sessions, suddenly, Sami wasn’t solely engineering music – he was witnessing the scene grow in real time. 

By 2018, after moving into the Washington Street space that now houses UP2STNDRD, Sami had reached a turning point. Growing increasingly frustrated by the strain — and frequent disappointment — of relying on English music platforms just to be heard, a realisation came. 

“Someone in Scotland is going to have to start a platform,” he recalls. “So I was like, right – today’s the day.” 

That was the birth of UP2STNDRD in 2019. The name came from a simple ethos: everything put out, from the music to the visuals, had to be quite literally up to standard. From meeting Mobo Agoro, a pioneer who had already helped shape a new collective of DJs, rappers, and videographers through his former studio, a joint venture began. The pair set out to build a bridge between emerging talent and audiences. Driven by the goal of showcasing Scottish artists, the platform curated an online series of freestyle shows and acoustic sessions. Over 200 artists passed through its cameras with no expense, from which rose a loyal fanbase. Despite the growing audience, the toll of the pandemic confronted Sami with a mindset shift.

“We were becoming like a social media company,” he reflected. “It was taking us away from what we were originally set out to do, so we went back to the drawing board.” 

UP2STNDRD now identifies itself as a production house. With Sami’s core aim as a producer always being to help define an artist’s sound, its mission firmly centres on artist development. It is set on building a strong catalogue of music from a roster of artists who have passed through the studio’s door over the years. 

Committed to the cause, in recent years, Sami and business partner Mobo have expanded their focus beyond the studio, launching incubator programmes for young artists that blend creative development with real-world industry training. Alongside this, they’ve introduced intensive writing camps — a more hands-on, studio-based format where artists collaborate with mentors and professionals, build portfolios, and create to live briefs. Across three days, producers and artists rotate between rooms, building multiple tracks before presenting them to publishers and sync professionals for feedback. 

Together, the two strands have evolved into a strong pipeline into the wider industry. Alumni have gone on to work with the BBC and Channel 4, while others now freelance across the music industry and the broader creative sector. To date, 22 songs created through the camps have been signed to publishers and sync agents for film, television, and advertising. 

“We realised it’s not just about artists,” Sami says. “It’s about managers, publishers, supervisors, videographers — the whole ecosystem.” 

That thinking feeds directly into what Sami calls the “45% rule”, a philosophy that now shapes UP2STNDRD’s identity as a production house. The aim isn’t to completely break artists independently, but to develop them to the point where the industry majors genuinely take notice. 

“We’re not trying to do everything,” he explains. “We take artiststo about 40–45% — where now somebody else can come in that has a machine built that can take them from there to, to the majors, 

Inspired by time spent overseas and seeing first-hand how more advanced creative ecosystems operate, this year the writing camps are going international — with sessions planned in Toronto and Paris before returning to Scotland on a bigger scale. The move marks a significant step in UP2STNDRD’s wider mission: not only to develop local talent, but to plug Scottish artists into global creative networks and opportunities back home. 

“When you leave your comfort zone and go somewhere like Canada, you really see how things are done properly,” he marvels. “The support systems, the accessibility to funding — it has a long-term impact on you.” 

For Sami, all of this feeds into one core mission: keeping talent in Scotland. “That’s how you build a scene. You build the back end first.” 

It’s about connecting bubbles of creativity into one collective force, creating a ripple effect that can finally turn Scottish hip hop into a sustainable, unified scene. The talent has always

been there — the system just hasn’t. Coming away from the conversation, it’s hard not to feel a genuine sense of excitement about what’s ahead. 

“I'm very positive.” He adds, “If we focus and deliver on our goal of establishing ourselves within the scene, with the back end of a partnership, then artists in Scotland wouldn’t have to leave Scotland to go to England. That support is now here.” 

Lastly, I couldn't leave my conversation with Sami without asking the burning question - advice to newcomer artists. 

Develop your sound above all else. 

“There’s a thin line between imitation and innovation. Get inspired, but don’t copy.” 

Strive to release singles over EPs. 

“Let the algorithm get to know you. Drop consistently before you start spending on ads.” 

Document everything. 

“Don’t try to ‘create’ content – just document. You’re already making music; that is the content.” 

Follow and keep up to date with Sami and UP2STNDRD via their platforms for upcoming projects and opportunities.